Infant tooth decay, especially that known as “baby bottle tooth decay,” is a severe public health problem that affects infants and toddlers. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), decay occurs when sweetened liquids are given and are left clinging to an infant's teeth for long periods. Many sweet liquids cause problems, including milk formula and fruit juice. Bacteria in the mouth use these sugars as food. They then produce acids that attack the teeth. Each time a child drinks these liquids, acids attack for 20 minutes or longer. After many attacks, the teeth can decay. In the United States, for example, as many as 1 in 20 children suffer from infant tooth decay.
Efforts to combat baby bottle tooth decay have focused on changing the behavior of parents. The ADA recommends that parents do not put children to bed with a bottle. The ADA further recommends that parents wipe the infant's teeth and gums with a soft cloth to remove decay organisms and nutrients that aid in their growth. These preventive measures are not well accepted by parents. In many situations, parents of infants may be generally exhausted and want to sleep as much as they want their babies to sleep. In a midnight feeding, parents may forego proper procedures by leaving a bottle in an infant's mouth for a prolonged period extending well after the infant has fallen asleep.
Since admonishments from the ADA and other health professionals require behavioral changes, such admonishments often go unheeded. Baby bottle tooth decay remains a serious public health problem. As a result there is a need for devices to address the issue of infant tooth decay, particularly the type known as baby bottle tooth decay.
The present invention, for the first time, provides a new and novel device for feeding babies at night while inhibiting prolonged exposure of teeth to nutrient rich bacterial growth media.